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Are you interested in sharing your thoughts about books that you've read? See me up there, that's me (well, not really me, but sometimes it's how I feel) contemplating how I can attempt to read and review all of the romances that I am tempted with on a regular basis.

How's a reader to know what books should be bought and placed at the top of a mountainous TBR? The answer: Reviews. Reviews and shared opinions from fellow readers that have similar tastes to your own.

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A passion for romance novels

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oh, and you should be over 18 years old

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*When reading the ratings for individual books I will always list the stars rating first, then the sensuality rating. It will look like this (star rating/sensuality rating)
For a complete definition of the Star and Sensuality Ratings and what they mean, click here.

Wednesday, March 2

A long time ago I signed up to get travel emails from the Scotland Tourism Board, and because of that every so often I get an email from Catriona sending me pictures of all of the lovely places and events that I would one day like to visit and experience. I have an on going love affair with Scotland because of a few very special romances, as well as these temptingly cruel emails :) So when I received the opportunity to have author Kira Morgan be my guest as part of Forever Romance's "From Scotland With Love" celebration I immediately said yes...not to the dress...more like a skirt...of the more manly variety; the kilt :)

Author Kira Morgan is my guest today to talk a little bit about the strength of women during treacherous times as well as her new historical romance, Seduced by Destiny. Read and enjoy!

Thanks for the invitation to Seductive Musings! I’m very happy to be here, especially since you’ve asked about a topic near and dear to my heart—women warriors.

Because I write about empowered women, I’m frequently confronted by skeptics who insist that ladies of the Renaissance were little more than chattel, that they did their husbands’ bidding in all things, that they had no status or power and were at the mercy of men. After all, that’s what the detailed histories written by celibate monks tell us.

They wish!

For the truth, think about the plays of Shakespeare, where women could sometimes wield great power, influencing husbands and fathers, sons and kings, through wiles or wit, twisting the fortunes of men around their little fingers.

Practical records of the period—private letters, ledgers, instruction books, sales receipts, and legal documents—also contradict the notion of the helpless female and paint a completely different portrait of the Renaissance woman.

Not only might a woman own property and run a business, but an educated woman was considered a prize, and though nobles might have arranged marriages, it was customary among the general population for a bride to choose her own bridegroom.

As far as warfare, female knights of the Middle Ages like Eleanor of Aquitaine, Jeanne of Montfort, and Joan of Arc set the foundation for the Renaissance. Of course, the most powerful war-waging woman of the 16th century was Queen Elizabeth herself, who had the whole English armada at her command. Mary Queen of Scots was no slouch either. But in addition to notable and colorful figures like Grainne Ni Mhaille, the Irish pirate queen, and Captain Mary Ambree, who defended Ghent against the Spanish, there were scores of nameless women who took up the sword in desperate defense of their homeland.

Scotland in particular became an ongoing war zone when Henry VIII began his “Rough Wooing” of young Mary Queen of Scots by sending troops to raze the Borders. There are several accounts of women taking up weapons against the ruthless English invaders who’d been instructed to “Put all to fire and sword!”

One such chilling account became the seed of my story in SEDUCED BY DESTINY. Maid Lilliard, a young bride whose husband had been killed by enemy troops, avenged him by joining the battle against the English at Ancrum Moor. She fought valiantly, slaying many foes even after she was mortally wounded. Her gravestone still stands as a monument to her courage and to the courage of all the Scotswomen who went to war alongside their husbands.

SEDUCED BY DESTINY is the story of Lilliard’s fictional daughter Josselin, an orphan of war raised by three of the soldiers who saw her mother fall at Ancrum Moor. Jossy, practically born with a blade in her hand, has her mother’s fighting spirit, and when she’s faced with the decision to kiss or kill her sworn enemy, Drew MacAdam, she earns a place among the ranks of brave women warriors.

So who is your favorite tough-as-nails heroine? Xena? Lara Croft? Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Do tell!

All her life, Josselin Ancrum has been trained for combat, hoping to exact vengeance for her heroic mother, who was killed fighting the English. When asked to spy for the Scottish Queen, Jossy joyfully accepts. But when a handsome stranger rescues her from sudden danger, his charm distracts her from her mission.

On the surface, Drew MacAdam may appear to be nothing more than a carefree champion, but his heart harbors a dark secret: This Highland hero is actually a skilled English soldier with a hatred for war and for the Scottish. Yet from the moment he meets the feisty Jossy, he's captured by her fiercely loyal heart. He's determined the honey-haired lass will be his ultimate prize - until the tragedy of their entwined legacies is revealed. Are these star-crossed lovers to be divided by their pasts? Or will they be...seduced by destiny?

When eighteen-year-old Lady Catriona Mackintosh discovers a wounded man in the forest near her Highland home, little does she know that he has sworn a sacred oath to kill her father and other members of the powerful Highland confederation known as Clan Chattan. Nor does she realize that she has met her soul mate. Independent, competent, intelligent, fiercely proud of her heritage, determined always to live near her own family, and known to her family as the "wee wildcat" because of her quick temper, Catriona is the daughter of a Highland chieftain and granddaughter of the even more powerful Chief (or Captain) of Clan Chattan. But her life changes forever when she persuades Sir Finlagh Cameron to return with her to her home to recover from his wounds.

Sir Finlagh "Fin" Cameron is on a mission for the heir to Scotland's throne, who has sent him to the Highlands to persuade the Chief of Clan Chattan to arrange a secret meeting for him with two other great lords (the Lord of the Isles and the Lord of the North). Until Fin meets Catriona, however, he has no idea that her father was the Clan Chattan war leader who led them in the battle that wiped out many of Clan Cameron's best warriors, including Fin's own father. The sole survivor of that battle, Fin accepted a bequest of vengeance from his dying father, providing him with a dilemma to face as he begins to fall in love with Catriona. He is not the only one enticed by her charms, either. There are two other contenders, one of whom is his own master, the heir to Scotland's throne. With royal mischief afoot, if Catriona and Fin are ever to find happiness, they must first avoid disaster that could change Scotland's history, and find ways to be open and honest with each other.

My many thanks to Kira for being my guest today! If you'd like to learn more about Kira and the books she writes you can find her at Facebook, on Twitter, and at her website www.glynnis.net/kiramorgan where you can enter a sweepstakes to win the silver thimble Drew gives to Jossy!

To celebrate all of these fabulous kilted heroes Forever Romance would like to giveaway copies of both Seduced by Destiny by Kira Morgan and Highland Master by Amanda Scott as part of their "From Scotland With Love" event to three lucky Musings followers. That's right, three winners will win both of these great highland romances! Here's how you can enter to win:

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: Answer the question Kira asked readers in her post, AND show her some comment love by leaving a meaningful comment or question for her. (good for 1 entry)

Mandatory: You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber, or subscription in Google reader, and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)

If you have a blog, or even if you don't, you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they successfully enter to win and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries. You can blog about it with a link to this post, post it on Facebook, Twitter, email...or even word of mouth (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) . Please note that to earn the points they must mention your GFC name so that I can match you.

Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)

How to enter:

You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment

Rules and disclaimers:

This contest is open to US & Canadian addresses only, sorry no PO Boxes

You must be at least 18 years or older, or of legal age in your country

The contest will end on March 12th at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected

Winner(s) will be selected using Random.org

The winner(s) will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS

The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed

Winners will be subject to one copy per household, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, that you will only receive one copy of the title in the mail

Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit

All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links, and don't forget that the referral fees from your purchases will sponsor the "Reader Rewards" giveaways :)

With history being written by men, women's roles have often been ignored or belittled. When you consider the realities of life , women were often left alone to watch over their families and run the family properties. They had to deal with friends and enemies in his absence. They accompanied their husbands to war to care for them and fight by their sides. I am sure the intelligence and ability of many women made them valuable helpmates to their husbands and families. Women haven't changed over the centuries. The recognition of their abilities and contributions have.I look forward to reading your books about strong women who lived in a place and time where life for all was precarious.

Tweeted contest at 11:38 AM on March 2 as pbbearclaw.

I shared this on Facebook 11:45 AM on March 2 as Patricia Barraclough.

Congratulations on your new book! Although I love romances and historicals, the ones I have read have not had alot of Lady Warrior Heroins. Seduced By Destiny sounds very interesting and exciting.. a bood I would really like to read. I am intriqued by Josselin's story and of her having being raised by soldiers. From the books I have read, my favorite Lady Warrior would be Tarian of Trent from Karin Tabke's Blood Sword Legacy series.

I would love to read Seduced by Destiny.I love Highlanders and the heroines who are independent and kick a**.One of my favorites Is Eve Dallas from the In Death Aeries by JD Robb.I've already read Highland Master and truly enjoyed it.GFC follower under Lucky4750@aol.comCarol LLucky4750@aol.com

Both these books sounds really good. I'm just starting to read Highlander books and really enjoying them.Favorite tough-as-nails heroine?There's so many..I'd say one is Rachel Morgan from the Hollows series by Kim Harrison.

Buffy is one of my favorites but Cordelia ended up being a higher being so that was really cool.

There are so many more but those would be my first picks.

I love highlan type books, the way the author describes the men while wearing their Kilt's...oooh la la...gotta love that. That Scottish Accent, I swear if I found a guy that looked like some of those guys are described and sounded sexy cool like that, I might be tempted to leave my hubby for a while...lol

I love that there are a lot of fabulous tough-as-nails heroines these days. My favorite is Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson, but I love Buffy, Lara Croft, and Sookie Stackhouse too.I've always enjoyed stories set in the Scottish Highlands, with the strong, courageous men and women. Both books sound fantastic and I'm looking forward to reading them.

My FREE Kindle Quest

I've wanted a Kindle for what seems like forever, but haven't been able to afford it (and that's saying something since I can justify the cost of just about ANYTHING that I really want). I've tried winning one in one of the many giveaways that have taken place over the couple of years, but with no luck :( So I've decided to take matters in hand so to speak :) I've now decided that I am going to accumulate enough Swagbucks from my Swabucks searches to buy one...so in essence my new Kindle will be FREE...funded entirely by my internet searches done on Swagbucks. I'll keep you informed of the Great Kindle Quest below (in case you're interested....if not feel free to just skip over this part, but really who wouldn't be interested in a FREE Kindle?)

Goal: $119

Current Swagbucks Amazon Gift Card balance: $90.00

If you'd like to learn how you can earn Swagbucks and earn your own Amazon Gift Cards to buy books, a Kindle or other merchandise sold at Amazon contact me and I would be more than happy to tell you how I plan to go about it. (just so you know you can earn both Amazon.com and Amazon.ca gift cards on this rewards site)